


Travels

by Pearlislove



Series: Mamma Mia oneshots [21]
Category: Mamma Mia! (Movies)
Genre: Airportes, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 05:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16486664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: The Sheridan families travels over the years.





	Travels

1960  
  
"Schhh, it's okay. Mama's right here" Ruby whispered, holding the crying infant to her chest and trying to comfort.  
  
Almost as if sensing her mothers anxiety over the trip, baby Donna had been crying helplessly since they arrived at the airport. It being her very first really big show, and the first airplane travel for the both of them, Ruby's nerves had been fried long before they even left the house, and now she had an inconsolable child to deal with on top of it all.  
  
The people waiting around them were long since staring and whispering, but Ruby couldn't care less. As much as she disliked the attention she was gaining, she knew that if she wanted to be as big as she hoped to be, then this was just the first of many times moving forward.  
  
The first of many trips to places far away from home to perform, her baby girl there with her because Ruby wwould never leave her behind.

  
It was just to get used to it.

* * *

  
  
1963  
  
"Donna, no!" Ruby screamed, her hand reacting a second later and pulling hard at the leash attached to her daughters dungarees.  
  
"Mama!" Donna protested, angry when she found her efforts to run away thwarted. “Mama here!” She explained, trying to run away once more.  
  
"No, Donna! We're not getting on an international flight." Ruby sighed, exasperated.  "Look, domestic flights. That's where we're going!" She pointed to the sign, hoping it might  help to distract Donna's attention.  
  
"Boring!" The little girl complained, once more sprinting for the international flights.  
  
"Donna, no!" Ruby protested, once more pulling hard at the piece of string she had attached to her daughters dungaree.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss?"  
  
A voice spoke, and Ruby looked away from her struggling daughter for a second to look  at the a woman her own age watching her sceptically. "Yes?" She asked, annoyed.  
  
"Well, I don't mean to be rude but...why have your got your daughter on a leash?" She asked. "Children are not animals. They should be treated better than this." The woman argued.  
  
"And what do you suppose I do to keep her from running off to the international departures? " She retaliated, pointing meaningfully at Donna, who was now desperately trying to get free of the leash. "I need to get to New York, and this little miss doesn't share my ideas."  
  
"Carry her?" The woman suggested helplessly. Clearly, she was starting to regret having talked to Ruby.  
  
"Yes, and then she'll be screaming and squirming the hole plane ride." Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'm young, not incompetent. I know how to handle my own daughter. Donna, now!" Sharpening her voice further, the little girl finally returned to her side willingly.  
  
"Puppy?" The girl asked innocently as she took her mum's hand. For once, she was standing perfectly still, looking innocently at her par  
  
"Where to go?" Ruby replied, smirking at the young woman still watching them.  
  
"There" Donna said, pointing for the domestic flights area. "Puppy!" She ordered.  
  
"Good work. Here." Smiling, Ruby pulled a stuffed toy dog and handed it to Donna, who grinned as it was put in her free hand.  
  
"My puppy!" She exclaimed, hugging the toy tight before starting to move in the right direction. "Go here?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, let's go Donna." Ruby walked off triumphantly, her sour toddler in tow.  


* * *

  
  
1974  
  
"And you have to call a lot alright?" Ruby ordered Donna, holding on  tight to her daughter as she prepared to say goodbye. "You know I'm up late almost every night, working or otherwise, so you can always call me."  
  
"Yes mum, I know" Donna rolled her eyes, secretly pleased that her mum was being so emotional over her departure. If she was being really honest, she felt a bit emotional too. "I'm going to call as soon as I'm at Oxford, I promise!” She assured her, biting her lip as she looked at her mum. “I just think would have been more fun if you would have come with me."  
  
"I know, I think so too” Ruby singh. “And had t been _any_ other week, I would have...but I booked this gigg a long time ago and I can't possibly back out now." Ruby apologised, pulling Donna close and hugging her tighter. "God I love you so much"  
  
"Don't worry mum, it'll be alright. I'll be home for Christmas and we'll see eachother again in no time." Donna grinned, kissing her mum on the cheek. "I love you too, but I really do have to go now.”

 

Ruby nodded. “I know baby, I know. You better hurry, too. I don't want you to miss your plane” She smiled, handing Donna her suitcase and placing the blue hat she'd been wearing on her daughter's head instead. It had always looked better on her anyway. “I'm so proud of you, now go!”

 

Donna smiled, giving her mother one last kiss before turning around and running. “I'll see you at Christmas!” A few steps forward, she stopped and yelled, waving a hand in the air one last time before she sat off down the corridor for real.

 

“See you” Ruby waved goodbye at her daughter, her sunny smile dropping as soon as her child was out of sight.

 

Despite Donna's many reassurances, Ruby felt a tight, painful knot resting in the pit if her stomach when she left. Somehow, she almost felt as though things had just changed forever. Nothing was ever going to be the same, and the reakisation brought with it a sense of foreboding that Ruby did not like.

 

Turning to walk away, she allowed herself one last glance at the empty space where her daughter had stood. Donna had left, and the wheels of fate had already started to turn.

 

Walking away, Ruby hummed an old song.  “And I know I don't possess you, so go away god bless you”

 

* * *

 

 

2006

 

“Schh, behave!” Ruby ordered, glaring down at the little puppy yapping away by her feet.

 

The dog, however, paid no attention to Ruby and continued to yap, obviously as excited as it's owner to be welcoming their guests when they arrived at LAX.

 

“Grandma!”

 

Ruby looked up from the dog, grinning as she saw her granddaughter come running through the departure gate. Sky was right behind Sophie, the poor boy trying to carry all their bags as his fianceé hurried ahead to her grandmother.

 

Warm arms wrap around Ruby, and suddenly all she can see is a sea of golden curls covering her face. She laughs, happy and excited as she hug her granddaughter back. “I've missed you do much Sophie” She says honestly. Two months recording an album without both Sophie and Fernando was too much for her to suffer.

 

“Well, I've missed you more!” Sophie argued, releasing her from the prison of golden curls as she pulled back to look at your grandmother. One hand automatically found itself on top of her huge pregnant belly, and she felt so grateful to be able to personally bring her grandmother with her back home to Greece before the birth of her baby.

  


“It's true” Sky commented from behind. “Sophie and Fernando are going completely crazy without you.”

 

“We are not!” Sophie argued back, her arms still wrapped protectively around Ruby. “Not when I'm here with her. Not speaking for grandfather though” She grinned as she looked at her grandmother. “But that's why we're here to bring you home as soon as the mini vacation is over.”

 

Ruby would have responded to this, her heart swelling with love and words to be said,  but they were interrupted by a tiny black dog nestling in between their legs, yapping away as loud as it could and trying to gain the attention of it's owner.

 

“Aww, whose this little guy?” Noticing the dog, Sophie dropped to her knees, one hand outstretched and petting the black puppy as it barked excitedly. “It's adorable!”

 

“That is Espresso” Ruby grinned, enjoying the sight of her granddaughter playing with her dog. “I got two more at home, Frappe and Latte. My friend Paulie watch them for me when I'm gone.”

 

“So you have three tiny puppies with coffee-related names?” Sky asked, arching his eyebrow sceptically. It wasn't the most eccentric thing about Ruby, certainly, butt it was weird.

 

“I lost a bet. Paulie won the right to name them and used my coffee addiction against me.” Ruby admitted. “They're from the same breeder and I just couldn't pick one. I love all of them so much, even if I don't see them too often.”

 

“You'll have to bring them to Greece. Bring Paulie too. It'd be fun to meet her.”

 

“Sophie, you can meet her while you're here in Los Angeles” Ruby laughed. “Besides, I'm not sure your grandfather will enjoy three energetic puppies going crazy in his tiny cottage.”

 

“They're _your_ dogs” Sky said, still trying to balance their luggage as Sophie played with the puppy. “I'm quite certain Fernando will let you do anything you want, just for being with him. But if he really doesn't want them, they can always stay at the hotel.”

 

“Thanks Sky. I’ll certainly think about it.” She assured him, taking off her sun hat to place on top of Sophie's head. It was a beautiful light pink colour and Ruby had bought it especially for her lovely granddaughter. “Now come on, there's a car waiting for us outside and I want a chance to enjoy the good weather with the people I love.” She ordered, handing Espresso's leash to Sophie when she stood up.

 

“Absolutely.” Sophie exclaimed, grinning proudly as she realized her grandmother was trusting her woth the dog.

 

Ruby grinned back. She had never felt happier.

 

* * *

 

2011

 

“Donny, no!” Sophie screamed, running towards her son who was well on his way to walk into another tax free shop. Exasperated, she lifted the small boy into her arms despite his cries of protest. “You can't just run away like that!” She explained, hoping against hope the boy might calm down if he understood what he did wrong.

 

Three year old Donny Sheridan did not share her ideas. Tiny fists hit agaibst his mothers chest, his cries still loud and clear and he tried to break free of her grip.

 

“Sophie come here” Ruby ordered, finally having had enough of watching her granddaughter run ragged trying to chase her son.

 

“I'm sorry grandma, Donny is being a right pain today” Sophie apologised, attempting to comfort the still crying boy in her arms.

 

“Yes, I can see that. Give him here” She continued, stretching out her arms and taking the boy from Sophie. Donny looked at her with big eyes, a perpetual frown still on his lips as he was handed to his great-grandmother. “Hey, Donny, do you want to walk on your own?”

 

“Yes!” The boy screeched, his hands squeezing Ruby's cheeks for a moment before removing them, making a disgusted face. “Ewww, powder” He protested, trying to get the make-up off his hands.

 

Ruby laughed. “Okay, let's get you down on the ground ” She offered, putting the tiny boy down on the floor again.

 

“Grandma, this is not a good idea…” Sophie began hesitantly, ready to step in if Donny tried to run away again.

 

“But not until we've made some adjustments” Removing a piece of string from her handbag, Ruby expertly tied it to Donnys pants. The efficiency of this was immediately proven, as Donnyattemoted to run for it, only to slip down on his hands and knees when Ruby pulled roughly at the piece of string.

 

“Grandma! You can't put a leash on Donny!” Sophie protested, horrified to see the way Ruby was handling her great grandchild.

 

“Can’t I?” Ruby asked, looking at her granddaughter over the top of her sunglasses. “Sophie, the first time I traveled with your mother she was less than two months old. How do you think I kept her alive and within my site her hole childhood? I'll give you a clue, it’s the reason she always wore dungarees.”

 

“You kept my mum on a leash?!” Sophie exclaimed, following after her grandmother as she began to head towards their gate, Donny unable to do anything but follow as the piece of string kept him controlled. “Grandma you can't just keep children…” Sophie trailed off, watching as Donny tried to escape, only to be reeled back in by Ruby, her confident stride hardly interrupted by her great grandchild stepping out of line. “Fine. Just...give me that!” Annoyed and amused all at once, Sophie took the piece of string from Ruby, running ahead with her son instead.

 

Watching the scene, Ruby just shook her head. Sheridans were a crazy breed, and in an airport, it only got worse.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment, it's worth so much!


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